Binder file and tape for the manufacture thereof



e 6, 1950 E. 1.. STEIN 2,510,263

BINDER FILE AND TAPE FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed April 28, 1947 I N VE NTOZ ELME A. Jr's/N M, mmpeq Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BINDER FILE AND TAPE FOR THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in binder files and tape for the manufacture thereof.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a binder or folder and a mounting tape which may be assembled thereon, or prefabricated and unitarily adhered therein to bind material in the folder with unusual facility regardless of the size or shape of the material.

More specifically it is my purpose to provide a mounting tape construction in which the use of pressure sensitive adhesive on laterally projecting tabs is made feasible by a continuous supporting strip from which the adhesive is readily separable and which has protective ply portions fixed to the folder beneath the tabs, so that the mere act of lifting the tab separates it from the protective ply which is a fixed part of the supporting strip.

From the standpoint of the tape used in my improved binder, it is desired to provide a much more simple, inexpensive and easily used material than has heretofore been available for the purpose, and one which may be used not only in binder files, but also on bulletin boards and elsewhere for the mounting of sheet material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a. binder file embodying the invention, portions of the bound sheet being broken away to expose the construction of the file.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the mounting tape used in the construction of the binder file shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing the tab strip portion of the mounting tape illustrated in Fig. 2, the support strip being omitted.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3 showing slightly modified embodiments.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view in transverse section through a portion of a binder file showing a. modified embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a modified embodiment.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views in plan on an enlarged scale showing binders representing further modified embodiments of the device shown in Fig. 1.

The folder I! comprises a pair of integrally connected covers I9, 20, folded to provide a hinged connection with each other upon the line l8--l8 of Fig. 1. The folder per se is conventional except as it may be modified in the manner hereinafter described.

The folder I! carries near its fold line I8 one or more mounting tapes each comprising a combination of supporting and tab strips which is preferably fabricated as a separate article of manufacture but may be assembled in the cover if desired. The prefabricated article is shown in Fig. 2. The complete binder is shown in Fig. 1.

The support strip 2| has its back coated with adhesive 22 for attachment to the folder. Either a glue or a pressure sensitive or other adhesive may be employed, the only requirement being relatively permanent adhesion to the binder. Mounted on the support strip 2| is a tab strip 23. The margin of the tab strip is laterally cut to provide the mounting tabs 24. The entire back of the tab strip is coated with adhesive 25 which, at least beneath the tabs, is of the pressure sensitive type.

The support strip is continuous beneath the tab strip and is either coated or made of some material such as cellophane from which the pressure sensitive adhesive of the tabs is readily separable. It is immaterial whether the unslitted portion of the tab strip adheres wholly to the support strip, as in Fig. 2, or in part to the binder. In either case the support strip will serve as a protective ply at least beneath the tabs. However, instead of removing a separate protective ply from each tab as a prerequisite to the mounting of a leaf 29 thereon, it is only necessary to lift the desired tab. The support strip which serves as a protecting ply for all the tabs will have greater adhesion to the binder than to the tab and will remain fixed when the tab is lifted.

To facilitate lifting the tabs, their ends are preferably free and non-adherent. This may be done either by the separate pieces of stock shown at 2B in Fig. 3 or by folding over the ends of the tabs as shown at 21 in Fig. 5, or by omitting the adhesive coating from the end portions of the respective tabs as indicated at 28 in Fig. 4.

To make the device of Fig. 3, a separate ribbon of cellophane or the like may be applied along the margin of the tab strip 23 before such strip is slit to form the tabs 24. The slitting operation, therefore, will penetrate the tab strip 23 and the narrow marginal ribbon to leave the small bits of material at 26 on the under surface of the ends of the respective tabs.

The device shown in Fig. 5 is made similarly, the strip 23 having its extreme margin folded upon itself on the pressure sensitive adhesive before bein slit.

The device shown in Fig. 4 is made by simply omitting the adhesive from the margin. In all forms of the device the adhesive will ordinarily be applied before slitting. If the mounting tape is not prefabricated the slitting may be postponed until after the combination strip shown in Fig. 2 is mounted on the binder. The penetration of the slitting knives into the cover of the folder will not affect the utility of the device.

By simply lifting one of the tabs 24 in the manner indicated near the top of Fig. 1 and positioning therebeneath a leaf 29 to be bound, then the actual binding operation involves only the pressing of the tab on the surface of the leaf. As many or as few tabs as desired maybe used. In Fig. 1 two tabs 26 are engaged with the leaf 29. Corresponding tabs in the respective sections of the tab strips are preferably selected. Another leaf 29' of comparatively different dimensions has been engaged by other tabs. The tabs are sufficiently flexible so that in bending they provide hinges for the leaves mounted in the binder.

The tab strip 23 in which the tabs are formed may be made of a variety of materials including cellophane, kraft paper and fabric. A fabric tape is ideal for the purpose because of its strength and flexibility.

The leaves mounted by the means herein disclosed retain unimpaired strength since no holes are made in them. The mounting operation requires but a fraction of the time required to mount a sheet in a conventional loose leaf binder.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7, the unslit mounting portion of the strip 33 has adhesive at 34 for connection with cover 29 at the right of the fold line l8 between the covers. The strip 33'extends about one side margin of strip 32. The tabs 24 have their pressure sensitive adhesive releasably engaged with the upper surface of strip 32, the tabs overhanging from such strip at their ends to be grasped.

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, a duplex arrangement is used, eachof the covers I9, 20, being provided with a support. strip 2|. In this construction the mounting strip 38 is double in width, but centered on the fold line l8, with both margins slit to provide two sets of the tabs 24 projecting in opposite directions.

In the construction shown in Fig. 9, one tab strip is superposed on another so that the unslit mounting portion of one strip underlies the tabs 24 of another to serve as a support strip and provide a surface to which the pressure sensitive coatings beneath the tabs will not adhere.

All of the preferred embodiments of my invention comprise a support strip. lapped by a tab strip, the tab strip having at least portions of its tabs coated with pressure sensitive adhesive detachably adherent to the support strip, which is of material from which the tabs are readily separable without damage. The tips of the tabs are preferably non-adherent. The support strip is I either directly or indirectly (Fig. 7) provided with adhesive for mounting the entire assembly on a back or cover to which the protective ply portions beneath the tabs are so fixed as to hold When the individual tabs are pulled free.

It is very advantageous to have the supporting strip project beyond the free margins of the tabs in the manner shown in Figures 1', 2 and 6. It serves as a slide for the operators finger nails or any other instrument used to lift the individual tabs. If there were no projections the finger nails might catch on the margins of the supporting strip instead of on the tab.

By using two lengths of my prefabricated. mounting tape spaced toward the top and bottom of the folder, I facilitate the selection of corresponding tabs for the symmetrical mounting of work sheets in the binder.

I claim:

1. A binder comprising the combination with a folder, of a mounting strip adhesively connected to the folder and having laterally projecting mounting tabs, a pressure sensitive adhesive coating on said tabs, and protective means common to the several tabs and fixed to the folder and extending continuously beneath said tabs and with which the adhesive coating of the several tabs is detachably engaged and from which individualtabs are readily separable without injury to such coating.

2. The binder defined in claim 1 wherein the protective means comprises a second strip intervening between the mounting strip tabs and the folder and having a permanent adhesive connection with the folder, said second strip having beneath said tabs a coating from which the adhesive coating of the tabsis readily separable.

3. A binder comprising the combination with a folder, of a protective strip having a permanent adhesive connection with the folder and having a smooth, hard upper surface, a mounting strip mounted on the protecting strip to be connected thereby to the folder, the mounting strip having laterally projecting mounting tabs, each provided on its undersurface with a pressure sensitive ad hesive coating in detachable engagement with the underlying protective strip, said protective strip being common to the several tabs and maintained stationary by its connection with the folder during the lifting of an individual tab from it, individual tabs being readily separable from the protective strip without injury to the pressure sensitive adhesive coating on the tabs.

4. For use in a binder, the subcombination which comprises a protective strip having on its upper Surface a finish from which pressure sensitive adhesive is readily separable without injury, the said protective strip being provided on its lower surface with a normally dry and nonadherent adhesive rendered active only upon treatment with a solvent, a mounting strip fixed on the protective strip and extending longitudinally thereof and provided with laterally projecting mounting tabs coated on their undersurfaces with a pressure sensitive coating adhering to the finish of the protective strip and readily separable therefrom without injury, the protective strip being common to the several tabs of the mounting strip and extending continuously beneath such tabs to facilitate the lifting of individual tabs.

5. The device of claim 4 in, which individual tabs have the undersurfaces of their extreme end portions free of said pressure sensitive adhesive for convenience in the initiation of the lifting of an individual tab.

ELMER L. STEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,074,271 Kingsley 1 Sept. 30, 1913 1,129,110 Montgomery Feb. 23, 1915 1,423,473 Taylor et al. July 18, 1922 1,687,859 Fontaine Oct. 16, 1928 2,248,317 Van Cleef July 8, 1941 2,248,582 Phillips July 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 487,329 Germany Dec. 3, 192 

